Card selecting machine



jmmy' Sept. 24, 1957 Filed Aug. 18, 1955 w. E. RocKHlLL. ETAL 2,807,109

CARD sELEcTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 W HH i' m N m INVENTUM 1" www iRocKmu. i DOSEPH LAueHuN ATTORNEYS Sept. 24, 1957 W. E. ROCKHILL ETAL CARD SELECTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18, 1955 Sept 24, 1957 w. E. RocKHlLL Erm. .2,807,109

CARD SELECTING MACHINE s sheets-sheet sV Filed Aug. 18, 1955 d J'osEDH LAUex-MN Bmwi E; 5M

ATTORNEYS' United States Patent fz,s'o"7,1'o9' CARD sEtLEcTrNG MAcnlNE William E. Rockhill, Seattle, Wash., and lloseph Laughlin, Portland, Oreg.

Application August 18, 1955, Serial No. A529,202

7 Claims. (CIL 40-65) This invention relates to a card-selecting machine and, more particularly, to such a machine which is conducive to rapid handling in that it is possible to select a card tiling panel in only a few seconds, remove a certain desired card, examine the same, and le said card in the ling panel in approximately'the same space of time as was previously required tovselect'the card.

Prior to this invention the filing of punched record cards for use with modern punched card business machines has been a time-consuming operation aswell as one requiring a considerable lamountof space to house saidcards; To be more explicit, these punched-'cards are housed in storage bins or tubs,f' and .although horizontally arranged, are tiled 'therein in an upright position; This horizontal arrangement suie'rs from inherent short-comings as a greatdeal ofV oor space is necessi-V tated for the cards and itis quite difficult to sort out the certain card to be' examined. This is morev easily seen if one visualizes the punched cards as filed' in an upright position in the tubs with one card after another` so that the upper edges of the same are substantially at the same elevation making it impossible to readily see the face of the cards behind the lirst card. In order to see said face and to read the identifying writing thereon, it is necessary tothumb through the cards in order to select theldesired one. As these tubs are quite Alarge andA re'- quire a large 'areaofA floor space it is necessary that the workers selecting and lingthe cards inthe tubs walk around the same. This-leads to the practice of selecting a card, taking the card over to be examined or the'pertinent data gleaned from the sameyplacing: thecardV in a a 2,807,109 Ice j Patented Sepe-24, 1957 operator to sit down at the machine and operateV the same instead of walking around it. Further illustrating the 'operation of this invention it isseen that the operator sitting at the machine actuates a'conrol to select the iiling casecontaining the desired card, selectsv the card, examines the same, e. g., places the same in a maehinefsuch as Card-O-Matic, las produced by Remington-Rand, Inc., for reproducing the card, andthendirectly places the card back in the panel case for future use. With this background of card filing and selection and our apparatus for so doing the same, it isan object of this invention to provide a card selecting lmachine havingthe ability tostorc a large number of cards in a minimum of space;

A further object is toprovide a cardiling m'aehinein which it is easy to select a card, remove the same, examine said card, and then return the card to its designated place in the machine.V

An additional object is they provision of a card iiling machine which requires a minimum of time to select and to return the card to its designated place in the'm'achine.

A still further object is to provide a card tiling machine in which it is easy to maintain complete records.

group until aY suficient number to be led are collected, p

andthen tiling the same.V It is appreciated that thisYp-rof cedure makes for a cardle-which is not completeatA all times, and therefor breeds a slower method forvutilizing the'punched cards. Y

With this limitation in view we have V'inventeda cardfilingY system which is designed. for av quick and easy selectionj of a desired card.v Briey described, vour cardr` selecting` machine comprises a plurality. of upright parallel 'card ling cases and each-fofl whichV oasesincludes a number of pockets for the cards. Said pockets? being arranged in sucha manner that a small portion` ofy the cardin-'back of the immediately precedingfcard is visible,i. e.-,ithe suc--l ceeding card in back of. the immediately preceding cardis visible, making it possible tospot ata glance the'rcards Another important object istheprovision of a card tiling machine which is both inexpensive to manufacture and to operate. Y

With yet additional objects; and advantages 'in' view which, with thev foregoing, lwill appear and be understood inV the course of the following description and claims; the inventionV consists in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination-,of parts hereinafter des scribed and claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings: Y

Figure lis a perspec V'veview looking downen a card indexing machine constructed Ain accordance with the preferred teachings of this invention;

Fig. 2, drawn to arr-enlarged scale; is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional View takenV on line 2"-2 of Fig l, and illustrates therotatable pivot means upon which the frame is mounted.

Fig. 3 isa fragmentary vertical cross-sectional View drawn on line 3--3 of Fig; 1,l and depicts thetiltingfmeans forraising and-loweringthe frameand the bigband-low positions ofthe frame beingtilted. Y

Fig. 4v is a fragmentary vertical dross-sectionaly View drawn on line /4--4A of Fig. l,and illustrates the upper guide means for guidingthe longitudinal movement of the panels. Y

Fig. 5 isa fragmentary vertical cross-sectionall View drawn online 5-5- of Fig. 1, and depicts the lower guide means for guiding the longitudinal movement of the panels. I Fig. `6 is fa fragmentary front elevational view illus-t trating the sliding panel in which removable'record cards arevmounted.

Fig. 7 is afrafgmentary vertical crosssectina'l view.

toY be selected. As these punched cardsy-arearranged y in a substantially upright manner itisrpossible to' lefor-l a given iloor space a much ilarg'er numbe'rof` cards in this manner than-is possible withjthe `tub system ofriiling. Furthermore,l the selecting of the card is quitel rapidas an experienced card tiling machine operator generally knows'the particular cairdv panel filing c'ase in whichthej card' isr located, and by pressing a button thecase comes intoview in less' thantwo se'conds'. l'so; tlie'preselected card can be taken out of thecase"`in1abo`ut`the saine pe,-A rio'd" of`Y ti'rne-and enan'njed Because cards can bei-located in'asrnalrarea ieisfpssi'bierfr die Y Fig. 8V isa-fragmentary horizoriatl' cross=secti0rial^ view drawn on line 8-8fof Fig'. 6.-

Fig. 9, onA anenlargedlscale, isa? vertical crossl'seet'ional view drawn on line' 9-9fof.A Figi: 6, andillnstrates tli wheel upon'which the tiling! cas'e'is` mounted.

Fig. l0 is a fragmentary enlargedfrnt'elevational view drawn as indicatedby line 1=0=*-1'0Tof-Fig. 6,' and depicts the edgeofaY cardlingfpane'lafl Fig. llv isl a fragmentary frort elevational vi'ew'd-r'awri as indicated by line IIL-11 of Fig. 6; anddll'strates' a` center portion of: a card` tiling panel-.-

Fig. l2. is an expanded sideeelevati'onal view ofthe card tiling panel and illustrates the divider and the elevator comprising said section.A Y'

Fig. 13 a fragmentary perspective view 'of'. the panel- Fig. 14 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view drawn on line 14-14 of Fig. 13, and illustrates the lock means for maintaining the card filing panel case.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that the invention isra card filing machine comprising a plurality of card tiling panel cases 21 and a frame 22 for maintaining said cases in an upright posture. The tiling cases are Vsubstantially two dimensional in that the length and width are many times greater than the thickness. Each of these cases comprises sheet metal whose edges have been bent to form an upright base 23, a peripheral edge 24 at substantially right angles to the base, and an inwardly directed lip 25 at substantially right angles to the peripheral edge. j Prior to the bending of the edges lof the sheet metal to form, the case, the same are cut so that adjacent lips form a smooth and attractive miter joint. 'I he lower peripheral edge near each lower corner is cut away to make a slot 26 for receiving a wheel 27. A rivet 28 passes through the base 23 and the lip 25 to lirmly position the wheel therein. As is readily appreciated, these wheels make it possible for the tiling panel case to move in a longitudinal direction on the frame.

Turning now to the frame 22, it is seen that the same comprises a surface 30 upon which the card cases move in a longitudinal direction and a housing 31 into which the cases may be stored until a certain case isA selected. The surface 30 of the frame is of a rectangular configuration being longer with respect to the longitudinal axis of each card tiling case than to the lateral axis. With respect to the surface proper, the same comprises a sheet metal base 32 and upon the upper surface thereof there are a number of spaced-apart guide strips 33. These strips are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and run from one edge of the frame to the opposite edge. There are a number of ways of attaching these strips to the base 32, one of the best being to weld the strips thereto. The housing 31 runs from the front edge of the frame to the back edge of the same, and covers over somewhat half the area of the surface, e. g., the housing extends over half the length of the front and the back edges. This housing is also of sheet metal and is enclosed on the top, the front and back edges, the outer side, but leaving the inner surface uncovered thereby permitting the filing cases to move in and out of the housing. 34 denotes the top of the housing and on the under surface thereof there is welded a guide assembly 39 having a number of parallel spaced-apart guide strips 35 welded thereto. These strips are aligned with the strips 33 on the upper surface of the base 32 and the two sets of strips acting in conjunction define a longitudinal path of travel for the filing card case. The exposed lateral edge of the frame or that edge away from the housing is bent over upon itself Ato form an abutting edge 36 for restricting the move- 'ment of the card cases. Naturally, inthe housing the inner edge of the frame may likewise be bent over upon itself to form another abutting edge for restricting the movement of the card cases therein.

The frame is rotatably mounted on top of a supporting table 37 by means of rotatingassemblies under the central part of the housing. These assemblies are attached to the frame on both the front and the rear edge of the same. Each of these assemblies comprises a lug 38 depending from an angle iron 49 which runs around the base `30 of the frame, a cradle 40 integral with the top of the table, and a shaft 41 passing through both the cradle and the depending lug.

By pivoting the card selecting machine under the central part of the housing the exposed or uncovered part of the base 30 is normally lower than the covered part of the base 30 or that part over which there is the housing 29. With this arrangement all of the liling cases 21 ro'll toward the uncovered part of the base 30 and remain at rest abutting the edge 36. Because` of this we 4provide a lock and releasing means for maintaining the liling cases inside of the housing until a certain panel case is selected at which time the lock means is released to allow the case to roll out of the housing and into the view of the card machine operator. More explicitly, provision is made for the locking means by proportioning the size of the base 30 so that the edge of the same inside of the housing 29 is spaced apart from the exterior side wall thereby leaving room for a spring locking linger 42 to project above the base 30 and into the housing. This linger is riveted on its lixed end 43 to the under part of the base 30 and from there rises upwardly in an S-curve 44 above said base and into the housing. At the apex of the S-curve the linger bends sharply downwardly into the straight section 45 which protrudes beneath the base 30. This straight section on its lower end bends back upon itself forming a loopor eye 46. As is readily appreciated the apex of the S-curve is sufficiently above the base 3l) to that the uppermost portion of the finger projects into the filing case. When the filing case is in the housing the uppermost part of the straight section 45 abuts against the lowermost portion of the inner peripheral edge 24 of the tiling case so as `to prevent the case from moving onto the exposed or the platform section of the frame. The releasing means comprises a linkage member 47 for lowering the linger so that the lower edge of the inner peripheral rim 24 of the filing case clears the apex of the S-curve thus permitting the case to move onto the platform of the frame. Said linkage member runs from under the frame to the front edge adjacent the housing and comprises a short linger 48 which projects through the eye 46. After leaving the eye the member almost doubles back on itself bending through an outside angle of approximately 300 and into a relatively long straight section 50. This straight section extends from the other side of the linger and through an opening 51 in the upright leg `in the angle iron 38. Upon passing through the opening 51, the member again bends slightly upward almost completely back .upon itself and through an outside angle of approximately 300 to form a short intermediate section 52 which is substantially parallel to the lower leg of the angle iron. In turn, this intermediate section 52 bends outwardly at approximately a right angle and into an outwardly directed linger 53. For ease of operating the linkage member there is'a cylindrical button 54 having a lateral opening and a short sleeve 55 which slides over the button and has lateral openings through the sleeve walls. In assembling the release mechanism the outwardly directed linger 53 extends through the aligned openings in both the sleeve and the linger. A lower guide plate 56 is welded at right angles to the outside of the upright leg of the angle iron 38. In this guide plate are a number of guide openings 57, each of Y ;ameter than the sleeve 55. Running through the operation yof the release means, it is seen that the depressing of a finger rotates downwardly the linkage member 47, the sidewalls of the opening 51 act as a pivot member, with the result that the short finger 48 pulls down the spring linger permitting the liling case to roll onto the platform of the frame.

As the frame slopes in such a direction that the card filing cases move onto the platform there must be pro- ;vision for rotating the frame of the machine so that the filing cases move into the housing. A tilting arrangement which we have found to be appropriate is a solenoid 61 possessing a plunger 62. Upon actuating the solenoid, the plunger rises thereby raising and tilting the frame so that the filing case on the platform moves into the housina-and is locked in position by the spring finger 42. Be, cause the wiring. diagram for the solenoid is so simple',v said wiring comprises tworwires' leading to the solenoid with one. passing to av switch controlled by a solenoid button 63. andv means for connecting. the wiresv to. a source of electricity, the diagram will not be illustrated in the interest of maintaining the drawingsvfree fromv unes.- sentialr material. Y

Turning now to the filing of the cardsfin the panels;` we provide a number of card' ling pockets. These pockets. are so constructed that a portion of each succeeding` card, viz., the cardin back of the immediately preceding card, isvisible. The combination of. elements functioning together to make each card visible comprises a divider 64 and an 'elevator 65. In more detail; the divider is av solid sheet of material functioning to separate thecard in one pocket from the card in the adja. cent pocket; and the elevator is in the configuration of an inverted T having a maior leg 66 and two minorl legs 67. By referring to Fig. l2 the method of assembling these two elements, the divider. and the` elevator, is more readily understood. Between two dividers there is placed an elevator arranged with the two legs 67 at the lower part of the major leg `66. Thebottom edge of the elevator 65, i. e., the topl of the inverted T, isv aligned with the bottom edge-of the first divider 64 which is in front of or immediately preceding said elevator. The bottom edge of the second divider immediately succeeding said elevator is aligned with the top edges of the legs 67 instead of their lower edges so that the top edge of the immediately succeeding divider is higher than the top edge of the immediately preceding divider` by a distance equal to the width of the leg 67. This arrangement may be carried on indefinitely as the bottom edge of the second elevator is aligned with the bottom edge of the second divider which is immediately succeeding the the first elevator. These dividers and elevators are joined into an integral unit which is referred to as the card filing panel 59. If the materials of construction are of a felted fibrous base such as paper or cardboard then these elements may be glued together or if they are of sheet metal then they may be soldered. That part of the pocket we have described is only one-half of a pocket as there is provision for supporting only one end of the card positioned therein. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a supporting means for the other end of the card. If this means is on the outside of the pocket then in place of a T-shaped elevator it is possible to utilize an L-shaped elevator 68 having a major leg 70 and a minor leg 71. As is seen, a pocket is defined by two elevators between two dividers, and the legs 67 and 71 on these sections limits the insertion of the card into the pocket so that a portion of card equal to the width of these legs is visible above the immediately preceding card. In the particular card filing panel 21 we have illustrated there are three columns of pockets for filing cards. These columns include two columns of T-elevators in the central portion and an L-elevator running alongside each edge. These pockets are held in the panel by the upright lips 25 and bracing strips 72 which run from the bottom to the top of t-he panel. The lips hold in the edges and the central portion strips 72. We have found it to be advantageous for the T-elevators 65 and the L-elevators 68 to be slightly thicker than the card to be inserted in the pocket thereby making it easier to file the cards.

With the preceding description of the card selecting machineserving as background the method of operation is readily understood. Assuming that all of the panel cases are in the housing and that the operator desires to select a certain card out of the card filing panel case we will now trace the operation of the systeml The operator, from experience, usually knows in which panel case the card is located and therefore presses the proper 'control button for releasing thisv case; The case moves into view and the operator quickly selects the desired card, because each card is visible, and places said card in the reproducing machine such as'Y the Card-0# Matic machine. Upon reproducing the card, the op-k erator files the same in its place in the tiling panel, and presses the control button for the solenoid so as-to tilt the frame and thereby movethe panel into the housing, This sequence of steps of selecting, reproducing and tiling the card requires less than ten seconds,` and because of the ease and the rapidity ofV these steps in herently leads to aV complete card tile at all times.

To morev clearly illustrate the advantages of this card selecting machine and particularly the large number of cards whichv can be filed in ay small volume, We here'- with disclose the tiling `of punched cards `of a-length`73t" and a width 3%. In reference to the longitudinal axis of the card, the same is horizontal. The height to which the cards in the card filing panel.y are tiered is 20 with three columns per panel. As only the upper 1A" of each card is visible there are pockets for v204 cards per ling panel. The card we utilize is approximately' 0.007." in thickness. Therefore, with the elevator and'thedivid'er each having a thickness of 0.01 there is sutlic'ient clearance between the divider for the insertion of the card in the pocket. Because only thirteen of these cards can overlap the thickness-of the card filing. panel is about 0.26" and the thickness of the card filing case is approximately 0.5. With thirty of these panels per frame it is possible to le over 6000-cards within reaching distance of a machine operator, i. e., within a distance of two feet. This number of liled cards can be doubled by having two of these machines in working distance of the operator and with the panels moving toward each other.

Although we have described this tiling machine with the card tiling columns being in an upright position and that the frame tilted so that the panel case moves out of the housing and onto the platform it is to be understood that the card filing columns can be in a horizontal position or that the frame can be tilted so that the tendency of the panel cases is to move from the platform into the housing and yet be within the patentable concept of this invention.

The advantages of the invention, it is thought, will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description. Minor changes will suggest themselves and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, wherefore it is -our intention that no limitation be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language admits.

What we claim is:

l. A card selecting machine comprising a frame, a panel case for holding cards, said case having means to move on the frame, and means to pivotally mount said frame whereby upon pivotal movement of said frame about its pivotal mounting the panel case will be positioned so tha-t it will move by gravity on the frame.

2. A card selecting machine comprising a frame and a card holding panel case being capable of moving on said frame, and means to pivotally mount said frame whereby upon pivotal movement of said frame about its pivotal mounting the panel case will be positioned so that it will move by gravity on the frame.

3. A card selectingmachine comprising a frame for positioning a card holding panel case, said panel case being substantially two-dimensional in that the length and the width of the panel are many times greater than the thickness, means for permitting the panel to longitudinally move in said frame, and means to pivotally mount said frame whereby upon pivotal movement of said frame about its pivotal mounting the panel case will be positioned so that it will move by gravity on the frame.

4. A card selecting machine comprising a frame and a plurality of card-holding panel cases, each of said cases being substantially two-dimensional in that the length and Ithe width dimensions are many times greater than the thickness dimension, said `cases being arranged so as to be. parallel to each other, means for longitudinally moving the `cases in vsaid frame, means for positioning said cases in said frame so that all of the panels are in alignment, means to pivotally mount said frame whereby upon movement of said frame about its pivotal mounting the cases will be positioned so that they will move by gravity on the frame, and means for selecting and releasing a certaincase thereby permitting said certain case to slide out of alignment with the other cases.

5. Al card selecting machine comprising arframe and a plurality of upright card holding cases, a rotating means to rotate said frame through a small angle so that one side of the same -is raised land lowered with respect to the opposite side, ythe dimensions of said cases being much greater in length and Width than in thickness, a sliding means for permitting the cases to longitudinally slide in said frame, a means for aligning said cases so that they are Ialigned one after the other, and means for selecting and releasing a certain case so that said certain case can be taken out of alignment with the other cases.

6. A card selecting machine comprising a frame and 25 a multiplicity of parallel card positioning panel cases, said cases being substantially two-dimensional in that the 8 A length and width dimensions are many timesgreater than thev thickness dimension, 4means permitting the cases to slide longitudinally 'of themselves on saidtrame, means' for rotating the frameand the casesthrougha small anglev to raise and lower one side of the frame with'respect to an opposite side so that the cases will move longitudinally of themselves back and forth on said frame, l.means to maintain said cases in a certain aligned position on the frame, and means to select acertain case and to permit said case to move on said frame.

7. In a card selecting machine a frame, a multiplicity of movable parallel upright card holding panel vcases on said frame, guides on said frame restricting the panel cases to a substantially longitudinal movement, means for l References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,067,799 Colley July 22, 191'3 2,493,530 De Saussure Jan. 3, 1950 2,650,594

Heilman Sept. l, 1953 

